Decline in Church Membership.
Dr. Crane of the Methodist Episcopal church, says in the April number of the Quarterly Review: "In the year 1856 there were 800,327 souls, members and probationers in our fold. Since that date, nearly one million of probationers have been reported. About ninety thousand deaths have also been reported. Had there been no losses except by death, we would this day have numbered about 1,700,000 members and probationers, whereas the number reported in 1864 is only 928,320 (and only 939 more in 1865). In eight years, three-quarters of a million of names strangely disappear from our church records. At the General Conference of 1864 the Bishops reported a decrease of 50,951 during the previous four years, and accounted for it on the ground that the war had broken up churches, and scattered societies over all the area where raged the battle, yet during these same years more than 100,000 accessions were annually reported." What a sad picture of religious defection do these facts present! The M. E. Church is not now very exacting of its members. Its rules against worldly conformity are not very rigidly enforced. It is the largest, wealthiest, and most popular church in the land. It is very seldom, in these times, that one subjects himself to persecution by belonging to it. And yet, according to Dr. Crane, it has lost otherwise than by death, 750,000 members within the short period of eight years! Of these all may not have backslidden. But is it not probable that a larger number of backsliders remain in the church than of persons who have left it for any other cause?